Rock in Rio goes global

Music fest now available for worldwide licensing

Network Live has secured exclusive licensing rights for Rock in Rio, the world’s largest multi-day music event.

Network Live, a joint venture between AOL, XM Satellite Radio and AEG, will announce the deal today at Midem in Cannes and NATPE in Las Vegas. Network Live will have all international sales and licensing rights for all broadcast and media partners, outside of Portugal and Brazil.

This will be the first year that Rock in Rio will also be made available for licensing throughout the world to all broadcast distribution platforms including Internet, wireless/mobile, satellite and terrestrial radio and television.

This year’s festival will take place May 26-27 and June 2-4 in Lisbon. There is more than 90 hours of live music.

The last festival, held in 2004, had a bill that included Paul McCartney, Sting, Britney Spears, Metallica, Peter Gabriel, the Foo Fighters and Alicia Keyes.

“We wanted to pick a premium brand,” said Kevin Wall, CEO of Network Live, “that has value in different parts of the world.”

Network Live will be selling TV, radio and Internet rights to various regions around the globe and using its outlets to carry the enormous festival, which has been staged only four times previously. This year’s event marks the 20th anniversary of the first Rock in Rio.